Gaming machines, otherwise known as slot machines, poker machines, video lottery terminals, or gaming consoles, have proven very popular within the gaming environment to become one of the base elements of the gaming industry. Players, however, quickly become tired of various adaptations of gaming machines, demanding new and inventive ways to represent or play games on such gaming machines. For this reason, game creators must continually invent new and innovative ways to represent games, game play, and award types to stimulate players to encourage further interest.
One type of award that may be presented on gaming machines to increase interest among players is a mystery jackpot or award. These mystery jackpots may be progressive jackpots that start at a minimum award amount. The jackpot increases based on an amount of gameplay on the machine up to a maximum amount. In some embodiments, if the jackpot amount that is able to be won increases above a win threshold, the player who causes the jackpot to cross the win threshold may be awarded the mystery jackpot.
A typical casino or other gaming establishment will have a fluctuating number of players play on the gaming machines. In addition, players will play different amounts at different times. Accordingly, for systems that implement a mystery jackpot or similar prize mechanism, it may be difficult to accurately determine a typical or expected payout amount for the gaming machines throughout the gaming establishment. In addition, if game play increases or decreases on the gaming machines throughout a particular time period, a casino may end up paying jackpots more often as compared to a frequency of jackpot payouts originally forecasted, resulting in spending more in the same time period.